2012 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Results: 9th-Round, Standard Leagues

Both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart went off the board in the ninth round of this 10-team mock draft for standard scoring leagues. Many analysts and fantasy owners seem to covet Stewart as the first tailback off the board from Carolina, but in this mock it was Williams that went just above him.

After watching Williams against the Dolphins, I agree that he should be the first Panther tailback off the board. Just look at his production down the stretch last season, and it will show you Williams has the potential for a nice season now that defenses have to respect Cam Newton’s abilities.

81. Ryan Williams (ADP 9.08) -

Williams got the start against the Raiders and didn’t look all that bad. Look for Williams to challenge often injured and less skilled starter Beanie Wells as the season moves along.

That is assuming Wells can stay on the field as his knee has been an issue throughout the offseason even though the Cardinals' coaching staff doesn’t seem to be concerned.

82. Shonn Greene (ADP 7.03) -

Yeah, Greene has looked like a slow old dump truck rather than a bell cow back this preseason and most of his career for that matter. I thought early in the offseason he might have a chance to be productive mainly because the Jets would be forced to run.

Perhaps things will pick up for him when Tim Tebow overtakes Mark Sanchez but early on, don’t expect much.

83. Titus Young (ADP 8.08) -

Young is having a solid offseason despite begin kicked out of practice in OTAs for a fight. With Matthew Stafford at quarterback, you know Young will benefit from Stafford’s strong arm via the vertical game, ball location (smaller receiver, may not get his head knocked off) and stick throws in tight coverage.

Landing Young as a WR4 in the ninth round is a solid addition in standard and performance leagues.

84. Philip Rivers (ADP 8.05) -

Not impressed by what I’ve seen from Rivers this preseason. I’m not going to knock him too hard because it is preseason and it’s not like teams are using game plans at this time of the year. Still, the loss of Vincent Brown was a blow and we should expect another slow start from the Chargers as a team.

85. Ben Tate (ADP 8.05) -

The top handcuff in all of fantasy, Tate will have success when given an opportunity and has a chance to be a starter down the road in his career. I’m not a fan of taking handcuffs at this point, but if you have Arian Foster it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pull the trigger in the ninth round.

86. DeAngelo Williams (ADP 10.02) -

Love what I’m seeing from Williams in the preseason. Go back and look at his production down the stretch, and he was clearly benefiting via big plays from Newton’s presence in the offense. Defenses will be forced to account for Newton in the running game, leaving one less defender to focus on Williams.

This is a game-changer from where this offense was with Jimmy Clausen and company over the past few years, and even Newton at the start of last year to some degree. Jump on Williams as the first Panthers running back off the board.

In light of Stewart's recent ankle injury, I would go ahead and bump Williams up a round. If he has the chance to start on his own, he would have instant RB2 value.

87. Jonathan Stewart (ADP 8.09) -

Everybody loves Stewart’s game and as an Oregon Ducks fan I have a special place in my heart for this tailback. Still, he’s not a starter and as I mentioned above, I love what Williams is doing right now. What I do like from Stewart is his production in the passing game last year, and he received a goal-line touchdown in the team's second preseason game.

A solid pick at this point, but I still like Williams over him because he’s a starter and the explosiveness he’s showing this month.

We need to keep an eye on Stewart's ankle. If you're fine with a possible prolonged injury that slows him down until October, go ahead and take him at this point.

88. Justin Blackmon (ADP 10.01) -

It didn’t take long for Blackmon to quickly work his way back up fantasy owners' boards after a sound performance against the Saints. Blackmon has had an uneventful offseason and while I’m concerned about his maturity long term, he’s still a talented player.

Blackmon will make Blaine Gabbert a better player and is respectable as a backup in all leagues.

89. Brandon Pettigrew (ADP 10.05) -

Pettigrew may not be an exciting choice but he’s looking better after Jason Witten and Jermaine Gresham have gone down with injuries. Pettigrew will continue to be Stafford’s security blanket in the middle of the field and a solid red-zone target.

90. Jay Cutler (ADP 9.06) -

If you haven’t had a chance to watch Cutler’s first preseason performance against the Redskins, check it out on Game Rewind. The electricity in the Bears stadium was infectious as this fan base has been dying for an explosive passing game throughout its history.

They have it now and it should be a fun year in Chicago, and a very dangerous place for opposing teams to come into. This will be Cutler’s finest season since his move to Chicago and I like him as the eighth quarterback overall off the board on draft day.